The tool is claimed to take Microsoft IL and convert it to Java byte code. Analysts have remained very skeptical. There isn't a direct match between Java byte code and MSIL. And how does this tool handle calls to the various standard APIs?

Mainsoft Technology Claim

"Visual MainWin introduces a patent pending technology that compiles the Microsoft(R) Intermediate Language (MSIL) source code directly into standard Java byte code. For the first time, enterprises can use Visual Basic .NET and C# developers to rapidly develop Web applications for the J2EE platform. Visual MainWin preserves the complete Visual Studio developer experience, allowing developers to develop, run, debug and deploy their code directly within the Visual Studio system. Because the output is fully compliant with the J2EE platform standards, Visual MainWin application can be deployed and managed as any standard J2EE application.

IT organizations with both .NET and Java developers can accelerate the development of enterprise-class applications and Web services significantly by co-developing multi-tiered applications. Visual Basic .NET and C# developers rapidly create the front-end of the application in Visual Studio, while Java developers provide the back-end business logic and J2EE components. Visual MainWin bridges the technology gap, enabling Visual Studio, Visual Basic .NET or C# developers to easily access Enterprise JavaBeans(TM) (EJBs(TM)).

"Mainsoft has created an innovative solution for IT organizations struggling with conflicting development standards," said Chris Shipley, DEMO executive producer. "Visual MainWin enables organizations to accelerate application development by using their resources more efficiently."

I wonder why someone wants to use this tool to create J2EE apps.
Java IDEs(JBuilder,IDEA,) are far more superior than VS.NET
I think these guys should do the opposite thing: create plugins( whatever tools) for IDEA or JBuilder to develop .NET applications.
I would like to learn their customers( to sell some crap for $) and success stories(!)

> Java IDEs(JBuilder,IDEA,) are far more superior than VS.NET
> I think these guys should do the opposite thing: create plugins( whatever tools) for IDEA or JBuilder to develop .NET applications.
> I would like to learn their customers( to sell some crap for $) and success stories(!)

As a user of both Eclipse/WSAD and VS.Net I totally agree. Maybe Whidbey will change that but for now I long for an up-to-date, full-featured (all project types) C# plugin for Eclipse. Oh yeah, one that I can afford.

Mark:"I long for an up-to-date, full-featured (all project types) C# plugin for Eclipse"

I second that.

Anyhow I doubt that this product exists. I applied for a test-version, instead some woman from their UK office phoned(!) me up and when she heard that I was not working for a big company immediately lost her interest..

Okay, I believe it is very obvious that this article speaks about .Net and C# developers who have no experience in J2EE. Let's face it J2EE is more difficult to learn due to the classes + xml deployment files then a Visual Idioter. So to make your C# .Net developer (who cant learn java/ J2EE) more productive you need an intermediary to convert the Visual Idioter code into java J2EE code.

I believe that this shows how incompetent a basic (read this basic) .Net C# developer can be. Java and C# are very similar and theres so much information about J2EE out there that you can acquire a basic understanding of the Servlet and JSP api.

Also this article says that the code will run on Weblogic, so is portability to another app server that has been J2EE certified out of the question? And what version of the API does the port conform to?

Also what version of Java will it run on? Is there an upper/lower bound?

I might agree that its easier to do a page layout with a Visual Idioter (okay I really like this term) then to hand code it but with frameworks such as Tapestry or Velocity I can easily code an html page and then add the intelligence. And decouple the model and view which means that I can actually re-use code Ive written, which I do quite a bit.

But after thinking this through it might be perfect for some shops that have no java/J2EE developers, but I dont believe this is a good thing if you have good and competent java/J2EE developers.

fmstasi writes "La Repubblica, one of the main Italian newspapers, reports shortly about an interview (in Italian) with Mariella Gramaglia, Communication Councillor at the Municipality of Rome. They are planning to start soon trying Linux on the desktop: 'The first tests will concern e-mail, address book software and sharing systems', she says. The Councillor also says that motivations are political rather than economic: 'In the short term, the money saved on license will have to be spent on training'. It seems that there haven't been any reaction yet from Microsoft: 'At Microsoft they know how much we esteem them', she says; 'for example, they are sponsoring a campaign to spread the use of computers among the elderly. And we'll keep on cooperating with them on other projects'. Maybe Microsoft also appreciates that there is (yet) no project of migrating all the clients? The Municipality has about 9,500 clients, so an eventual migration project would be slightly smaller than the one taking place in Munich.

TechTarget provides technology professionals with the information they need to perform their jobs - from developing strategy, to making cost-effective purchase decisions and managing their organizations technology projects - with its network of technology-specific websites, events and online magazines.